


Soulmates Part 2

by fansofsuchandsuch



Series: Soulmate AU [2]
Category: One of Us Is Lying - Karen M. McManus
Genre: F/M, Sad, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-11-05 20:10:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17925530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fansofsuchandsuch/pseuds/fansofsuchandsuch
Summary: Bronwyn finds out, everyone is crushed, and Nate gets an idea.





	Soulmates Part 2

**Author's Note:**

> I'm alive, I'm alive, I am so alive...and sorry I'm just updating this series now. Enjoy the last two parts, though, my dudes. -S

The alarm clock startles Nate awake at exactly two pm, so he goes on his phone until three thirty so he can get ready to see Bronwyn for their date. He puts on a simple short sleeved shirt and jeans and puts his leather jacket on to complete the look before doing his hair and brushing his teeth. He leaves the house quickly, jumping onto his motorcycle and practically speeding to get to the place Bronwyn wanted to meet up at, a simple park. He sees her already on a bench, reading a book, so he parks and gets off his bike to go meet her, all with a grin on his face. The same one that hasn't left his face since meeting Bronwyn.

She looks up from her book once he's a few feet away and smiles, putting a bookmark in and shutting it to be fully attentive to Nate. "Hey," she says, "nice jacket."

"Thank you," Nate begins, holding his hand out for her to take. She does without hesitation and he pulls her up off of the seat, smiling down at her once she balances on her feet. "Hey, Bronwyn."

"Hi, Nate." Bronwyn says, and Nate thinks that's the best way he's heard his name said, ever. He takes her hand in his and they begin walking, recounting good times in their lives and having a rather pleasant conversation. Nate tells her about his friends, about where he grew up, about his parents. Bronwyn tells him that she wants to be a lawyer when she gets older, and they steer clear of the soulmate conversation for most of the time, which Nate is grateful for.

He knows that they only don't talk about it because Bronwyn thinks they are soulmates and by the way she's blushing at even the slightest compliment he gives her makes him think she will stray from that topic for the first few dates, at least, out of sheer awkwardness alone. Who wants to talk about the future on the first date, afterall? As the day continues and after they get dinner together, Nate doesn't want to say goodbye to her, not yet, so he suggests they just walk around together. Bronwyn agrees, so they begin to walk, and Nate forgets about his soul-mark the entire time. He doesn't think about it when she quietly takes his hand, rather he focuses on the electric sparks due to the action. He doesn't think about it when she leans closer to him, and he doesn't think about it when she says she's a bit cold, so he takes the jacket off without hesitation to give her it.

Her eyes scan him as he does so and once the jacket is off, she sees his soul-mark and the smile drops off her face.

"That's not what I said to you." Bronwyn mumbles, re-reading the words imprinted on Nate's body.

"What?" Nate asks, confused as he holds out his jacket. Bronwyn takes a few steps back, shaking her head.

"I said too, I added a too, there's no too there." She says, clearer, "you lied to me, Nate. Why did you lie to me? Was this all just a big joke to you?!" Her sadness quickly turns to anger and she pushes him away from her.

"No, no, I promise it wasn't supposed to-" Nate quickly begins, trying to think of ways to make this better, to keep her in his life at all, but she's pissed and her eyes glare daggers at him as he steps forward.

"Were you just going to lie to me forever? Laugh with your friends about another girl who believes in soulmates?" She interrupts, voice rising and trembling with anger, frustration, and hurt.

"No, I just really liked you-" Nate begins again, but he's cut off once more when tears slowly fall down Bronwyn's face.

"I really thought you were mine, you said every word, I actually liked you..." Bronwyn says. She shakes her head as her words trail off, looking up into Nate's eyes, and he can feel every ounce of hurt he's caused, and he hates himself for it. "Don't talk to me again, Nate." And with that, with one last look, she turns and walks away, leaving Nate on the street alone.

Nate doesn't go home. He watches her leave, thinks he should say something, but ultimately decides against it. He knows he fucked up, but he doesn't know how to fix it, so he just stays there for an hour, maybe more. Cooper eventually finds him there out of sheer luck (he was on a date with Kris who recommended the restaurant Nate and Bronwyn just went to) and takes him to his car and back to his dorm, mumbling curses at Nate and apologies the whole way. They get there and Cooper parks, looking over at Nate and sighing.

"Why would you do that? You know how serious these things are." Cooper says, kindly, which Nate hates. Everyone should be yelling at him for what he did, not offering their condolences.

"I wasn't thinking." Nate responds. "Not about that, I was just thinking about her. It was all about her, Coop. She was different than everyone else ever, she was just amazing and for once I wanted to give myself what I'd never get." His voice cracks, the emotion that he'd never shown before flows out as he continues. "I wanted her to be my soulmate, I did, so I pretended that damn 'too' didn't happen. Why _can't_ she be my soulmate?! Why is the world so goddamn shitty, why does it hate me so much that it teases me with her and then doesn't deliver, and then adds a damn word at the end that just pushes the fact into my face that it's not her, that it could never be her, that it may never be anybody! I had an amazing two days with her and I wanted a lifetime more and I couldn't have that! _Why_ can't I have that?" He cries, the tears overflowing and the anger rising. He hits Cooper's dashboard once, then twice, and goes for a third when Cooper grabs his hands and yells to stop. Once Cooper holds him, Nate collapses into his arms, crying into his shoulders.

"I'm so sorry." Cooper whispers. Nate shakes his head.

"You should hate me, Bronwyn should hate me. I lied to her because I'm selfish. God, I hate me. She didn't deserve that." Nate responds. "She deserves everything, she deserves an actual soulmate and not me." It's quiet in the car as his words echo throughout it. Nobody says anything as he sniffles, crying about what could have been and what would have been had he not lied. "Either way, it wouldn't have ended good for me, but now I hurt her too and that's unforgivable."

"I would never understand the pain you've been through, Nate," Kris begins, alerting the boys in the front of the car to his presence, "and I won't try to, but you're not a terrible person. You just wanted something everyone has, love, and you wanted it with her and that's okay." Nate doesn't respond, so Kris quietly continues. "I know that if Cooper wasn't my soulmate, nothing would be right. If I never met him, my life would be worse. If he wasn't my soulmate, I would spend every day wishing he was, so I understand why you did what you did. I don't like it, but I understand it and I'm sure if you explained it all to Bronwyn she would too." Nate is silent, the tears gone as he takes in what Kris said.

_If he wasn't my soulmate, I would spend everyday wishing he was._

"If you had a different soulmate and you met Cooper still, would you fall in love with him?" Nate asks. Cooper raises a brow, confused at the question, but Kris simply answers.

"I think so, yes." He says, and that was the answer Nate needed to hear. He jumps up, an idea in his head, and runs out of the car, down the streets, and to the familiar shop he has passed by a thousand times before. He runs inside, smiles at the woman behind the desk, and slams down all the money he's carrying.

"I'd like a tattoo, please." Nate says. 


End file.
